Ukraine’s richest man plans to sue Russia for enormous losses

Ukraine’s richest man says he plans to sue Russia over what he mentioned was $17 billon to $20 billion in losses brought on by its bombardment of metal crops he owns within the devastated metropolis of Mariupol.

The Azovstal steelworks suffered heavy injury from Russian bombing and shelling after the sprawling plant turned the final bastion of defence within the southern port metropolis. The Illich Metal and Iron Works, additionally owned by Akhmetov, was additionally badly broken throughout Russian shelling of Mariupol.

“We will certainly sue Russia and demand correct compensation for all losses and misplaced enterprise,” Rinat Akhmetov, who owns the most important Ukrainian steelmaker Metinvest, informed Ukrainian information portal

.metropolis in an interview.

Requested how a lot cash Metinvest had misplaced due to the injury to Azovstal and Illich, he mentioned: “The substitute price … on account of Russian aggression is from $17 to $20 billion. The ultimate quantity can be decided in a lawsuit in opposition to Russia.”

Billionaire Akhmetov had already seen his enterprise empire shattered earlier than the conflict by eight years of combating in Ukraine’s east after pro-Russian separatists took over swaths of territory there.

Since Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24, Metinvest has introduced it can not ship its provide contracts. Whereas Akhmetov’s monetary and industrial SCM Group is servicing its debt obligations, his personal energy producer DTEK has restructured its debt portfolio, he mentioned.

Akhmetov mentioned he had remained in Ukraine for the reason that conflict with Russia started, including: “We consider in our nation and consider in our victory.”